News Broadcasting
AIR to conduct Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan on 7, 8 October
MUMBAI: Taking forward its tradition of promoting Indian classical Music, All India Radio (AIR) will be hosting this year’s Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan from 7 – 8 October at 21 venues across India.
Air features known and upcoming artistes on the national stage through this annual initiative instituted in 1954.
The 2006 Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan is being dedicated to the legendary Sarod maestro Ustad Baba Allauddin Khan for his great service to classical music. As a tribute to the multi-faceted musician, a concert is being hosted in his home town Maihar as well, informs an official release.
Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan will be that rare occasion for music lovers to listen to some of the seldom heard ragas like Malgunji, Kaushik Dhwani, Saraswati Kedar, Basanti Kedar, Swanandi, Suha, Chhaya Behag, Maluha Kedar etc. Besides vocal recitals in Hindustani and Carnatic forms, the Sangeet Sammelan offers a treat to music lovers featuring a wide range of instrumental recitals on Sitar, Sarod, Veena, Chitraveena, Rudraveena, Guitar, Violin, Sarangi, Tabla, Pakhawaj, Flute and Nagaswaram, the release adds.
Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe, N. Ravi Kiran, Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, Dr N Ramani, Pandit Samaresh Choudhary, Pandit Arvind Parikh, Pandit Basant Kabra, Pandit Nityanand Haldipur, Pandit Madhav Gudi, Bahauddin Dagar, C. Saroja and C. Lalita are among the prominent artistes participating in the Music Festival.
To popularise the Indian classical music, Air is holding the Sangeet Sammelan in several tier two cities like Jammu, Dehradun, Darbhanga, Patiala, Kolhapur and other cultural centres like Shantiniketan, Varanasi, Dharwad etc, besides the metro and capital cities.
Prasar Bharati CEO Brijeshwar Singh says, “All India Radio has played an exemplary role in national integration and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan is one of its activities which has truly and completely reflected the national ethos.” He adds, “For the first time AIR will also release CDs of the best of the Sangeet Sammelan concerts.”
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
